Cap spinning machines with driven spindles and cap-shaped thread guide members rotatable about the spindle axles have been known for a long time. The rotatable thread guide members in such machines do not require their own drive mechanism, in principle, but rather can be entrained by the thread passing through an opening at the free rim of the thread guide member and being wound up on the bobbin disposed on the spindle, in a similar way as the rotor in a ring spinning machine.
However, frequently an auxiliary drive means is nevertheless provided for the cap-shaped thread guide members, this drive means initially providing a faster startup of the machine (acceleration of the relatively sluggish thread guide member) and optionally also providing additional aid during operation in overcoming friction. In order to enable the number of revolutions of the thread guide member to adapt, during operation, to the increasing yarn package diameter--at constant spindle speed and constant thread feeding speed-- DE-A No. 3,040,180 suggests to provide whorls on the thread guide members, these whorls being in contact with a drive belt and being individually coupled with the associated thread guide member by way of a freewheel mechanism.
However, problems are encountered in such machines during shutoff. The thread guide member, having a relatively great inertia, has the tendency of continuing rotation longer than the spindle.